Means for mounting a rail



w. J. RoNAN lMEANS FOR MOUNTING A RAIL July 2s, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 29, 1955 July 28, 1959 w, J, RQNAN 2,896,899.

MEANS FOR MOUNTING A RAIL Filed July 29, 1955 a sheets-sheet 2 5- l 4 l l JNVENTOR.

. ima/w July 28, 1959 w. J. RONAN 2,896,899

MEANS FOR MOUNTING A RAIL Filed July 29, 1955 3 sheets-sheet s ggf-4 E?. /3 v y j W A TTORNEY JNVNTOR.

United StatesA Patent-O lVIEANS FOR MOUNTING A RAIL William J. Ronan, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Safety Bath Rail, Inc., Dearborn, Mich.

Application July 29, 1955, Serial No. 525,298

10 Claims. (Cl. 248--251) wall stud.

A further object is to provide a rigid arm support unit that may be easily pressed in place, automatically engaging adjoining members so as to rigidly lock in any adjusted wall position.

A still further object is to provide a safety arm mounting that issimple in construction, easily and etliciently applied, and that can be manufactured at a very low cost.

. These several objects are yattained in the preferred form by the construction and arrangement of parts as are more fully hereinafter set forth and defined.

Similar parts on all drawings are marked by similar numeral or letters. Y j Y Fig. l is a plan view of my new, device, showing the exterior form and Vassembly when mounted on a bathroom Wall.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same casing assembly showing the relative position of the inclosed tubular bathtub safety arm section.

Figi 3 is a cross-sectional viewtaken on the line 3 3 of the Fig. 1, showing the general arrangement of the various assembled sections and spring lock means.

Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of the support thimble as mounted within the outer conical casing unit.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the support thirnble shown in the previous Fig. 4, showing the tubular formation of the cylindrical member.

Fig; 6 is a detail side elevation of the safety arm spring lock support member.

Fig. 7 is an end -view'of the Fig. 6, showingthe split tubular section formation, and theprojected spring lock teeth formed thereon.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the combination lag and lock screw mounting unit.

Fig. 9 is a bottom View of the conical mounting casing, showing thecircular casing unit design.

Fig.V 10 is likewise the top view ofthe same mounting casing, showing the general exterior design and the central mounting recess formed through the top wall.Y

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional View of a device similar to Fig. l but-having modified spring lock means shown in closed position.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view as in Fig. 11 but showing the lock means in open position. j

l Fig.` 13 is an elevation view of the support thirnble as is mounted within the support casing outer end circular recess.

' Fig. 14 is likewise a side elevation of themodie'cl v threaded spring lock support as inserted therein.

lngenerah( myminvention comprises a special combinati@ mounfnasfud, belt, .formed with lag scr-.ew

illustrated in the Fig. ll of the drawingsI Removal ofV j l 2,896,899 Patented July 2,8, 1959 threads on one end thereof, and special lock screw threads on the opposite boltend, designed for rigidly mounting same within a bath-room wall stud, positioned therein as above and adjacent to a bathtub. The stud bolt is rigidly mountedk at right angles to said wall stud, projecting the special lock thread section outward for a predetermined length, and is inclosable within a smooth wall casing thirnble, and special engaging snap-lock unit designed for pressure insertion, and formed with a safety arm clamp member projected therefrom.

I will now describe more fully the detail construction of my improved mounting unit, referring to the drawings and the marks thereon.

The combination lag-lock screw 1 is made of a suitable metal rod, of` predetermined size and length, and is formed with lag screw threads a extended for about one third the length, suitable for rigidly mounting same Within a wood stud 2 section in the ordinary manner, as illustrated inthe Fig. 1 of the drawings. The lag-lock screw 1 is positioned at right angles to the vertical stud wall, and projected therefrom for apredetermined length. On the projected outer screw end are formed special lock threads b, preferably designed straight, vertical inner thread walls, and with sloping outer thread walls, as illustrated in the Fig. 8 of the drawings, said lock threads being extended nearly the full projected screw section length. Over the projected lock screw'section is mounted a smooth inclosing casing 3, preferably of a bell-shaped, orconical, design, and is formed with a closed top end c through which a circular recess d is provided. Within the bell-shaped casing top circular recess d is mounted a flanged tubular support thirnble 4 tightly fitted therein,

engageable with the support thimble inner tubular recessy Y and the inclosed lag-lock screw section. Within the walls of the projected tubular section arm clamps f are formed special latch teeth h, stamped, or cut free at the inner ends thereon, and pressed within said tubular lock slide sections g, forming spring lock teeth h, then positioned engageable with the lag-lock screw threads b, at any position when forced thereover as the support clamp is forced thereover. When the clamp 5 is tightly pressed within the thirnble 4 and over the lag screw 1', it becomes a rigid locked support unit for any inserted bathtub safety rail, as may be mounted therein. The slide lock sections g are firmly locked within the support thirnble` 4 by means of two standard set-screws 8, 9 threadably mounted'through the support thirnble 4 walls.

For special bathtub safety arm mountings, requiring removal at times, a modification of the inner clamp locking threads and connecting means, may be substituted for the spring lock teeth h, as is illustrated in the Figs. 11 and 12 of thedrawings, and where both teeth h and lock threads b may be substituted by plain V-shaped threads m and n as illustrated in the Figs. 1l and 12, with the lock sldesections g threaded internally by ordinary thread means, but of an internal thread diameter to allow sliding over the inclosed lag-lock screw 1, for inserting withing said support thirnble 4 a predetermined length before engaging the tapered thirnble lock slides p and closing same over the inclosed stud rlock threads n as illustrated in the Fig; l2, and by rotation of the surpressed clamp unit on the engaged threads the connecting lclamp units are tightly drawn together by the ordinary reaction of the thread-,engaging` means,V to a closed locked position as the lock clamp unit may be accomplished by the reverse rotation of the unit.

lt will be observed from the foregoing that I have provided `a means for mounting a rail A horizontally adjacent a wall behind which is a stud 2. The means comprises an elongated bolt 1 having an end a formed with threads whereby it may be secured to and thus mounted on the stud and thus on the wall with the bolt projecting at right angles to the wall. The bolt further has an exposed part whose side Asurface is formed with a series of closely and longitudinally spaced peripheral projections. These may be ribs b of Fig. 8 or threads as shown in Fig. 12. The mounting means further comprises a s-leeve 4 positioned axially over the exposed part of the bolt and having a flange. Included also is a conical bell 3 positioned axially over the sleeve 4 and the bolt 1 and disposed between the wall and the sleeve ange, the bell having on its smaller outer end an aperture receiving the sleeve. The mounting means further comprises `a L17-shaped clamping band, Fig. 6 or Fig. 14, having its bight f looped for receiving the rail A and having parallel legs g or g disposed within the sleeve and also positioned yaxially over the bolts. The sleeve flange is between the bell arid the loop f. The inner surfaces of the band legs g have a series of closely and longitudinally spaced inward projections complementing those of the bolts for interlocking cooperation with them, these projections being shown at h in Fig. 7 and they may also be in the form of internal threads n of Fig. 14. The sleeve has means for biasing the legs of 'j the band laterally against the bolt and thus biasing the projections of these legs into interlocking cooperation with the projections of the bolt. Such biasing means may comprise the set screw 9 in the sleeve flange which passes transversely through that ilange outside the bell and engages a leg or" the band.

`The biasing means may also be in the form of a taper p or" Fig. 13 such as a tapered shoulder at the inner end of the sleeve 4 and cooperating tapered inner ends as shown in Fig. 14 of the band legs.

Having fully described my spring grip lock mounting Vfor bathtub safety arm, what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. For mounting a rail horizontally adjacent but spaced from a vertical wall, an elongated bolt having its inner end formed to be secured to and thus mounted on said wall with the bolt projecting at right angles t said wall, the bolt havingrits other outer end exposed, a centrally bored sleeve positioned axially over the exposed end of the bolt and having on its outer end -a ange, a conical bell separate from the sleeve and positioned axially over the exposed end of the bolt and having its smaller end formed with a central aperture removably receivingthe sleeve and positioned between the wall and the sleeve ilange, and a clamping band formed of thin springy metal and having a looped bight arranged outside the sleeve flange for receiving the rail and having -a pair ot parallel legs of arcuate cross section integral with the bight and disposed within the sleeve and positioned axially over the exposed end of the bolt which is thus between it and the sleeve, and clamping means on the sleeve which squeezes the legs of the band towards each other and towards the bolt to clamp these legs against the bolt.

2. A construction according to claim l, `wherein Vsaid means comprises a set screw threadedly engaged with `and passing transversely through the sleeve and contacting the surface of one leg, which surface is closest to the sleeve, the set screw being arranged to prefss said leg towardsand into contact with the bolt. l

3. A construction according to claim 1 'wherein the means comprises a portion of the inner-surface of the sleeve hiasing the bandv legs towards'each other and against the bolt.

4. A construction according to claim 1 wherein the means comprises a tapered shoulder at the inner end of the sleeve which reduces the diameter of the sleeve bore and which contacts the inner ends of the band legs to bias them towards` each other and against the bolt.

5. A construction `according to claim 1 wherein the adjacent surfaces of the band legs and the sides of the bolt are formed with cooperating toothed formations adapted to interlock with one another for interlocking the band to the bolt, under clamping action of the clamping means, against separation from the bolt in a direction away from the 6. A construction accord-ing to claim 1 wherein the adjacent surfaces of thel band legs and the sides of the bolt have cooperating toothed formations which interlock with one another for interlocking the band to the bolt, under clamping action of the clamping means, against separation from the bolt in a direction away from the wall; with the means comprising a 'set screw threadedly engaged -with and passing transversely through `the sleeve and Lcontacting a bandleg and pressing the band leg into contact with the bolt.

7. For mounting a rail horizontally adjacent to but spaced from a vertical wall, an elongated bolt having one end formed to be secured to and thus mounted on said wall with the bolt projecting at right angles to said wall, the bolt having a part thereof exposed, with the side surface of the exposed part of the bolt being formed with a series of closely and longitudinally spaced toothed projections, afsleeve positioned axially ofver the exposed part of the boltand having a ange, a conical bell separate from the sleeve and positioned axially over the sleeve and bolt and disposed between the wall and the sleeve flange, and having on its smaller outer end an aperture removably receiving the sleeve, and a clamping band formed of thin springy metal and having a looped bight for receiving the rail and having parallel legs of `arcuate cross section integral with the bight and disposed within the sleeve and' also positioned axially o-ver the bolt and positioned within the space between the sleeve and the bolt, withl the sleeve flangerbeing between the bell and the band bight, theV inner surfaces of the band legs having a series of closely and longitudinally spaced inward toothed projections complementing those of the bolt for interlocking cooperation with them, and clamping means on the sleeve for'squeezing the legs towards each other and towards the bolt, to clamp the legs against the bolt and thus to bias the projections of those legs into interlocking cooperation with the projections of the bolt. Y

8. A construction according to claim 7 wherein the means comprises a set screw passingtransversely through the sleeve flange outside the bell. v

9. A construction according to claim 7 wherein the means comprises a set screw passing transversely through the sleeve ilange outside the bell `and `engaging -a leg of the band. f

10. A construction according to claim 7 wherein the means comprises a taperedshoulder at the inner end-of the sleeve cooperating with inner ends of the band legs to squeeze them together.

References Cited in the le of thisl patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 231,688 Spencer Aug'. 31, 1880 947,602v Stahl et al. Jan'. 25,k 1910 1,736,240 Wyss Nov. 19, 1929 2,529,173 Moyer etal. Nov. 7,1950 2,560,556. Creedonn my 17,1951 2,582,550 Bedfqrd 1 ran. 15, 1952' 2,674,922 Robinson Apr. 13, 41954 2,847,177I -Ronan Aug. 12, 1958 

